1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a dog harness which is connected to a leash held by an individual walking the dog, and more particularly to a leash-controllable dog harness adapted to inhibit the dog from straining against the leash and inducing the dog to come to a halt or to walk at a pace acceptable to the leash holder.
2. Status of Prior Art
A leash is a chain or strap attached to the collar or harness of a dog, the leash being used to lead the dog or to hold it in check.
As pointed out in the Bloom U.S. Pat. No. 2,233,397, when a dog strains against a leash attached to a dog harness, it is important that the harness then avoid a choking effect on the throat of the dog or undue pressure on throat muscles, cords and nerves, for these may have adverse effects on the lungs and heart of the dog. While Bloom discloses a non-choking harness, this harness does not act to discourage the dog from straining against the leash. Indeed, because the harness is non-choking, there is nothing to inhibit such straining and to hold the dog in check.
The need exists, therefore, for a harness to break older dogs of the habit of straining at the leash and for training younger dogs not to strain at the leash. When a dog strains at the leash, it may, in doing so, wrest the leash from the hands of its master who then loses control of the dog. But this is perhaps a less objectionable aspect of straining, for in the case of a master of advanced years or in relatively weakened condition, should the master hold tightly onto the strained leash to maintain control of the dog, the master may then be pulled to the ground or otherwise upset, with possibly damaging consequences.
To prevent straining at the leash, hobble-type dog harnesses are known, such as the hobble harness disclosed in the Patience et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,670,712, which normally permits free movement of the animal but which restricts the action of the forelegs when the dog attempts to run away or otherwise go out of control.
The Patience et al. harness includes a conventional dog collar and a shoulder strap that has hoops at its opposite ends that loosely fit over the forelegs of the dog. The shoulder strap is adjustable so that the foreleg hoops can be drawn up but not so tightly as to interfere with normal movement of the dog's forelegs. However, if the dog strains on the leash, this strain is also exerted on the shoulder strap, and the foreleg hoops are then drawn upwardly so that movement of the forelegs is restrained and the dog will be brought to a halt.
A harness of the Patience et al. type imposes a physical restraint on the forelegs, and its effectiveness depends on the strength of the dog. Thus with a small dog, this harness may be fully effective, but with a large and more powerful dog, the harness may fail to restrain the dog, particularly if he succeeds in wresting the leash from the hands of his master.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,369 (Sporn), there is disclosed a dog harness to which a leash is attachable, the harness acting to inhibit the dog from straining against the leash without, however, producing a choking action. The harness comprises a collar that encircles the neck of the dog, and left and right restraint cables whose leading ends are connected to the front section of the collar at left and right positions thereon. The restraint cables go loosely under the left and right foreleg pits of the dog and through respective slip rings attached to the rear section of the collar, the trailing ends of the cables terminating in a coupler to which the leash is attached. When the harnessed dog strains at the leash, this acts to tighten the restraint cables which then impose a pressure on the foreleg pits. Because these pits are highly sensitive, the dog, in order to relieve this pressure, will then cease to strain against the leash and thereby again loosen the restraint cable.
While a harness of the type disclosed in my prior '369 patent is effective for its intended purpose, it requires a collar whose size is appropriate to the neck size of the dog on which it is installed. Also, this harness entails slip rings on the collar through which the restraint cables pass, the cables terminating in a common coupler to which the leash is attached. Since the cables are more or less tightened when the dog strains against the leash, the cables are in time abraded by the rings through which they pass.
In my above-identified copending application, there is disclosed a collarless dog harness composed of a pair of loops that depend from a leash-coupling junction to which the loops are joined, the loops being angled at the junction with respect to each other so that they cross over and interconnect at a crossover site. When the harness is installed on the dog, the coupling junction then overlies the dog's shoulder intermediate the right and left forelegs, and the crossover site then lies below the dog's chest, one loop running from the site through the crotch between the chest and the left foreleg, and back to the junction, the other loop running from this site through the crotch between the chest and the right foreleg, and back to the junction.
As with the harness disclosed in my prior '369 patent, should the leash be strained, the loops would then ride up the crotches to engage and apply pressure to the sensitive pits of the forelegs to induce the dog to cease straining and thereby relax the discomfort-producing pressure. However, this harness has a distinct advantage over that disclosed in my prior patent, for it does not entail a dog collar.
The loops comprising the harness disclosed in my copending application are formed of straps of adjustable length, each strap being provided with a releasable buckle which must be unbuckled to install the harness on the dog. These buckles are placed just below the crossover site and press against the chest of the dog, producing some degree of discomfort. Another disadvantage of buckles is that they add significantly to the cost of manufacturing the dog harness.